


What I Feel

by bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Canon-Typical Violence, Human Disaster Alexander Hamilton, Hurt/Comfort, John tries to help, M/M, Soulmates, Soulmates feel each other's pain, just another cliche story because I'm a sucker for this stuff, there's a bar fight
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2019-01-27 03:36:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12572864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid/pseuds/bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid
Summary: Just another soulmate AU where you feel the pain of your soulmate.John and Alex have never met, but they have figured out a lot about one another based on a lifetime of pain.





	1. Chapter 1

John jumped as pain exploded across his jaw. He recovered quickly, rubbing at the already fading pain. Unfortunately, the sensation was something he was all too familiar with.

"Yo, did your soulmate just get punched again?" Hercules asked from across the room, noting John's movement. John winced as pain blossomed across his ribs.

"Yeah, that dude gets into more fights..." John felt a few more blows land. When he finally met his soulmate, he would probably punch him in the face himself. "He's obviously a very pleasant person," John said sarcastically. Hercules laughed boisterously.

"Hey, you aren't exactly the most level-headed person." Herc reminded him "You used to get into fights all the time."

"Yes, but I grew out of that, I learned a better way to channel my anger."

"Yes, and I'm sure you're soulmate appreciates you getting slammed around the hockey rink on a weekly basis."

"Trust me, getting checked with pads hurts a hell of a lot less than getting punched in the face." John didn't care about his own pain when he got hurt, but he did feel bad for his soulmate. The poor guy had enough of his pain, he didn't need John's as well.

From what John could tell, he soulmate had a rough childhood. While most of his friends felt scraped knees and broken bones at the very worst, John felt hunger pains, life-threatening sickness, and horrible injuries.

"Well, as soon as I meet this guy I am going to tell him to chill. And then suggest he tries out for hockey." Hercules said with a grin.

"Bonjour," Herc and John looked over as Lafayette strolled into their dorm room like he owned the place. He certainly spent more time in their dorm room than he did his own.

"Guess who got into another fight," Herc said as Laf settled onto the bed next to him. Lafayette turned to John and raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, my charming soulmate. I think it's over now though, and it wasn't one of the bad ones." John's pain had disappeared, although he knew his soulmate, wherever he was, would still be feeling the aftermath of his beating.

"Tsk, we need to find this guy," Lafayette said

"We've tried," John said, slightly defeated. It was clear that wherever his soulmate was, it wasn't anywhere near him. Someone who got into fights on that regular of a basis was bound to get noticed, yet everywhere they asked they came up empty.

"You'll find him, mon ami" Laf assured

"Hopefully before he gets himself killed," John muttered

"Who knows, it's a new school year, maybe he'll be here this year." Hercules offered

"Maybe" John forced himself to be optimistic. He knew that sometimes soulmates never found each other, but he wasn't going to let that happen to him.

*****

Alexander surveyed his bruising jaw with disappointment. He really hated it when he got punched in the face. The bruises always made it blatantly clear that he had been in a fight. It was not at all the impression he had wanted to make at his new school.

Alex had been attending classes at a local college part-time while he worked 2 full-time jobs. After a lot of hard work and a good scholarship, he had been able to afford to transfer to King's College. While it wasn't his first choice, it was a good school and could hopefully help him get into law school.

Now thanks to the idiot he'd met last night, he was going to walk into his new classes sporting a lovely looking bruise.

"Yikes, Jefferson has got a mean right hook." Aaron, his new roommate, commented.

"Eh, I've had worse." Alexander turned from the mirror to find Aaron looking at him appraisingly.

"You know, I've never seen Thomas get that mad. Normally he's the one holding James back. You certainly have a way with words" Aaron commented.

"It's my specialty. Thanks for your help by the way." Alexander said sarcastically, but without much heat.

"I'm sorry, confrontation just isn't my thing." Aaron shrugged

"I've noticed" Alexander muttered under his breath, earning a glare from his roommate, which he ignored. Alex liked Burr just fine, but it hadn't taken him long to figure out that he was someone who didn't like to stir the pot. Aaron would listen to Alexander's rants about various subjects, but he skillfully managed to avoid providing his own opinion. It hadn't surprised Alex one bit when Aaron had stood back and let him fight his own fight with Jefferson.

If Alexander had time for such things, it might occur to him to find a more like-minded friend, but he was a Political Science/Economics double major who was pre-law so he didn't have time for things like friends. Burr was the closest thing he had to a friend and that was okay by him.

Alex was walking back to his desk when he felt like he had run face first into a wall. He stopped and blinked for a few seconds before regaining his composure.

"What just happened?" Aaron asked, looking at Alexander in amusement

"My soulmate plays some kind of physical sport. He or she's always getting thrown around." Alexander said, plopping into his chair. His high pain tolerance meant that he didn't mind the slamming feeling, but he would be lying if he said he understood the point of sports. Yes, he got into fights, but he never went into a situation actively seeking out pain. Alexander would much rather battle verbally, although most of the time his opponents fell short and resorted to fists. Alexander simply didn't understand why someone would seek out an activity that involved getting hurt on a regular basis.

"Your soulmate's a jock? Interesting..." Aaron said, leaving it up for Alex to determine what exactly he had meant by the word interesting.


	2. Chapter 2

"John, are you okay?" Hercules asked in concern. John looked up to see his two friends looking at him and realized that he had zoned out.

"I'm fine...but I don't think my soulmate has slept since classes started," John admitted. It wasn't the first time his soulmate had gone days without sleeping. John absolutely hated the feeling, it was like an itch that you just couldn't scratch. He knew he didn't feel as tired as his soulmate, for him it was more of as if he had gotten too few hours of sleep the night before. It was a nagging sleepiness that made him wish he could take a nap, but since it wasn't actually him who was tired, that wouldn't work.

"Well, that means he's most likely in college at least," Lafayette said

"Yeah" John responded absentmindedly. He was wondering if he could search some kind of college database for someone who got into a lot of fights and never slept.

"Hey, how about we go out tonight? Have some fun, celebrate the first week of classes. We haven't been to Rochambeau yet this semester." Hercules suggested, naming their favorite pub in town.

"I'm in," Lafayette said, throwing his arms around Herc and planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Me too" John agreed. A night out with his friends sounded like a great idea and hopefully, it would help get his mind off of his soulmate.

John felt a slight pang of sadness as he looked at Hercules and Lafayette. It was hard not to think about his own soulmate when his two best friends were sitting in front of him, having already found theirs. Laf and Herc were really great at not making John feel like the third wheel, they made it clear that when the three of them were together, their friendship came first. But every time John saw them do something couple-y it made him think about his mysterious troubled soulmate and whether they would ever find each other.

*****

"I need a drink," Alexander said, slamming his laptop shut and stretching. He ardently ignored the black spots that appeared in his vision when he lifted his hands above his head.

"What you need is to sleep," Aaron said without missing a beat. He was looking at Alexander in concern.

"Drink first, then sleep" Alex insisted already putting on his shoes

"No, no way. I am not going to a bar with you sleep-deprived, that increases the likelihood of you getting into a fight tenfold."

"That's why I need you there to help talk me out of any fights." Alexander had discovered that although Burr would never join in on a fight, he did have a certain skill for talking Alex down from one. "Come one, I need to get out of this dorm room for a little while."

"Nope, but if you sleep now we can go tomorrow," Aaron promised.

"Burr, I can't sleep, I'm too wired," Alexander stood up and bounced up and down on the balls of his feet, proving his point.

"Fine" Aaron said with a sigh. He probably knew that Alexander would go out anyways and didn't want to have to deal with a bloody roommate.

"Yay" Alex said and tossed Burr his coat

"But no fights Alexander, and we aren't staying long. I'm not being dramatic when I say you look like you are dead on your feet."

"Cross my heart, and you are always dramatic." Alexander said with a roll of his eyes. Aaron gave another suffering sigh and followed Alexander out of the door.


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh, how I have missed this place," Herc said with a sigh, leaning back against the booth that the trio considered to be theirs.

"Moi aussi."

"Me three." Lafayette and John both agreed. The bar had good food, cheap beer, and quality music that was played at just the right volume. Rochambeau had quickly become their favorite hangout spot.

"I did not miss them, however," Laf said, looking in the direction of the door. Jefferson and Madison strolled in, looking as cocky as ever.

"God, can't they find another bar to hang out in. This one's ours." John said. Thomas Jefferson was a loudmouth who got louder with alcohol in his system and James only egged him on. There had been quite a few pleasant evenings that the pair had managed to ruin.

"Maybe we should tell them that," Hercules said, wagging his eyebrows. It wasn't a serious suggestion since they all knew any conversation would dissolve into an argument, but John let himself fantasize about walking over to Thomas and telling him to get the hell out of his bar.

"Ah and now look who we have," Lafayette said, drawing their attention to another duo at the door. One of the people was Aaron Burr. Although John didn't mind Aaron, he did wonder how he managed to stand without a backbone. Aaron Burr was not someone they were used to seeing. He usually avoided the bar scene since drunken arguments and fights were a fairly common occurrence.

"Who's he with?" Hercules said, bringing John's gaze to the shorter man standing next to Aaron.

"Never seen him before" John commented. The man had dark hair that was spilling out of a messy ponytail and dark eyes that swept around the room taking it all in. John saw the man's gaze stop and his posture stiffen. John followed his eyes to see that he was looking in the direction of Jefferson.

"Let's go" John could vaguely hear Burr's voice over the noise of the pub. Aaron was trying to usher the other man out of the door but was having no luck. The stranger simply shook his head, shouldered past Aaron, and made his way to the bar.

"Whoever he is, he's sure caught our John's eye," Lafayette said. John immediately tore his gaze from the new man and looked at his friends, who were both smirking at him.

"No...I just uh...he doesn't seem to like Jefferson." John finished lamely. Herc and Laf looked they were trying really hard to hold back laughter.

"Uh-huh, and those dreamy eyes had nothing to do with your staring?" Hercules teased. With a great amount of effort, John kept himself from glancing over at the stranger.

"I didn't notice." He said, looking between Hercules and Lafayette. At his words his friends lost it, dissolving into a fit of laughter.

"Yeah...right...." Laf managed to get out in between his giggles.

"Guys, come on, are we suddenly back in middle school?" John protested

"Sorry, it's just you don't get crushes very often. It's nice to see you all flustered." Hercules said, his laughter subsiding

"It's not a cr-" John started to say, but cut off when a blow to his cheek sent him sprawling to the side. "Whoa, that one was intense." John sat back up, holding his cheek and blinking away tears of pain. It had almost felt like he was the one actually being punched. He had barely recovered when another burst of pain hit his jaw. John gripped the table in front of him as his breaths came in gasps. The bar seemed to have suddenly gotten a lot louder and it was impeding his ability to focus on what was happening.

"John!" Lafayette yelled. John looked up to see his friend standing and looking towards the bar, his eyes wide. John followed his gaze and saw an angry Jefferson standing over a figure on the ground. John realized that it was none other than the stranger he had been watching. John watched as Jefferson brought back his foot to kick the man, and John felt pain spread across his own ribs.

"Stop...he's my..." John gasped, unable to form the words. Luckily, his friends had already figured it out. Lafayette and Hercules rushed over to help as John closed his eyes against the pain. After a few moments, the hits stopped coming and John's pain receded considerably, although his entire body still ached.

John opened his eyes and took in the scene in front of him. Thomas and James were gone, Lafayette and Hercules were supporting John's soulmate, Aaron was hovering anxiously behind them, and the bartender was yelling at them all to leave.

John rushed over to where they were standing. His soulmate was limp, his head hanging down, and John couldn't tell if he was standing on his own or if Herc and Laf were the only things holding him up. John brushed back the man's hair and cupped his face, gently tipping his head up. The man's eyes fluttered open briefly and he groaned.

"Shh, it's alright. We've got you." John looked up at his friend helplessly, unsure of what to do.

"Come on, we have to get out of here," Hercules said. They pretty much carried the man outside and gently sat him down so he was leaning against the wall. John crouched next to the man while Lafayette turned on Aaron, who had followed them outside.

"Who is he?"

"My roommate, his name is Alexander Hamilton. I tried to get him to not come out tonight and I tried to stop the fight between him and Jefferson, but his already short fuse was even shorter from lack of sleep and wasn't listening to me and-"

"Okay, okay, relax." Lafayette shushed. John had been prepared to be angry at Burr for not doing more to stop the fight, but instead, he found himself feeling bad for the man. Aaron obviously cared about Alexander and was upset about how things had gone down.

"Alexander?" John said, not entirely sure if the man was conscious or not.

"Uhhh," Alexander groaned and opened his eyes slowly. He looked around in confusion, his gaze finally landing on the familiar face of Aaron. "Burr? What happened?"

"Jefferson and Madison." Aaron let out a slightly bitter laugh. "There was no talking you down."

"I suppose not...ouch" Alexander put his hand to his head as if just now registering the injuries. "Who are you people?" He asked, looking around at the three other men.

"Let's just say that none of us have any love for Thomas or James," John said quickly. As much as he wanted to blurt out that he was Alexander's soulmate, he didn't want to confuse or alarm the other man.

"Ah, well thank you for your help." Alexander sat up straight and looked like he was about to stand up.

"Take it easy." John put a hand on his shoulder "We should probably get you to a doctor."

"Nah, I've had worse." Alexander shrugged off his hand and struggled into a standing position, although he was leaning against the wall like it was the only thing keeping him up.

"John's right, you probably have a concussion and at least some bruised ribs," Hercules said, eyeing Alexander warily.

"Nothing I can't handle," Alexander said stubbornly. He pushed off of the wall and made it a couple steps before he passed out. Luckily, John was ready for that and he caught the small man as he collapsed. John sank to the ground slowly, trying not to jostle Alexander too much.

"Who the heck is this guy?" Lafayette asked incredulously. He looked at John in disbelief and John could see the unasked question in his eyes. Laf was questioning that this was really John's perfect match.

"Alexander Hamilton" Burr repeated unnecessarily.

"Okay, well we are taking Hamilton here to a doctor," Hercules said.

"We can't," Aaron said. "He's an immigrant without any family who works several jobs to pay for school. He can't afford a doctor." John looked down at the bleeding mess of a man in his arms. He had known his soulmate was troubled, but this was all worse than he'd thought.

"Okay...alright..." Lafayette began pacing and John knew he was coming up with a plan. "We will take care of him. Herc can fix him up and we'll make sure he doesn't get any worse."

"What? Laf, I can't!" Hercules protested

"You're pre-med" Lafayette argued back

"Yes, PRE! As in I don't know how to do this stuff yet."

"It's our best option! We can't bankrupt him" They were both yelling now and John winced at the sight.

"What if he's hurt worse than we know?" Herc pointed out

"He's John's soulmate, we have to take care of him" Lafayette shouted, then his face softened and he turned to where John and Alexander were. "He's John's soulmate," Laf said, his voice now more like a whisper.

"Okay, I'll do my best. But at the first sign that he is getting worse, we are taking him to the hospital." Hercules conceded.

"You're Alexander's soulmate?" Aaron asked in surprise. John jumped slightly at the question, having completely forgotten that Aaron was there.

"Seems like it" John responded. He could still feel lingering aches where Alexander had been hit. Being this close to him made their connection stronger.

"I'm so sorry," Aaron said sympathetically. The statement seemed to be mostly a joke, but John could tell that part of Aaron felt sorry for John for being tied to Alexander. Although John didn't really know Alexander, he felt a wave of protectiveness and anger rise up at Aaron's words.

"Yes, well I'm glad I found him." He said coldly. Aaron looked slightly surprised by John's tone and immediately started to backtrack.

"I just mean, I'm sure you've gotten a lot of fists to the face, and he's uh..." Aaron trailed off

"Let's just focus on fixing up little Alexander here, shall we?" Lafayette interjected.

"Yes, okay." Aaron looked grateful for a switch of subject. "My car's just across the street."

"You drove to a bar 10 blocks away from campus?" John asked incredulously

"I wanted to be prepared, this isn't our first run-in with Thomas," Aaron said grimly. "Plus Alexander has barely slept in a week so I figured if fists didn't knock him out, alcohol or his lack of sleep might."

"Fair enough." Hercules walked over to John and Alexander and gently lifted the unconscious man out of John's arms. They walked to the car and situated themselves so Alexander was lying in the backseat with his head on John's lap and his feet over Hercules.

"It's the first week of classes, how is he already so sleep deprived?" Lafayette asked Aaron and they drove.

"The kid has two majors, is pre-law, and works two jobs. He barely has time to do anything to take care of himself." Burr shook his head, "it's honestly exhausting just watching him."

"Damn," John looked down at his soulmate with new appreciation.

"It's going to be hard to determine the extent of his head injury." Herc muttered, "I won't know if he's confused because of a blow to the head or lack of sleep."

"We'll figure it out" John assured his friend before turning his attention back to Alexander. John brushed back Alexander's soft but tangled hair. For the first time, he really looked at Alexander's injuries. He had a cut on his cheek and above his eye and several bruises along his jaw. There was one yellowish bruise that John assumed was from last week and a couple new ones. "I've got you" John whispered. For better or for worse, he had finally found his soulmate.


	4. Chapter 4

Alexander woke up to darkness. He shifted, which sent a wave of pain through his body. He gasped in surprise as he struggled to remember what had happened. He remembered Jefferson and the fight. He could vaguely remember being helped by strangers. He thought back and could remember one very freckled, very concerned stranger in particular.

"Alexander?" A light was switched on revealing the very same stranger he'd just been thinking about. Movement caught Alex's eye and he looked around to see that the room was filled with three other people, one of whom was Burr, who lay asleep on the floor. Two other strangers occupied the other bed in the room, they sat up when the light turned on.

"Where am I?" Alexander asked in sudden alarm, realizing that this was not his room.

"You're in my room." Freckles said moving closer and looking at Alexander with concern.

"And who are you?"

"John Laurens, I'm..." The man trailed off and glanced back towards his friends. He took a deep breath and continued speaking, "I'm your soulmate." He said quickly, watching Alexander intently for a reaction. Alex looked at the cute, awkward boy in front of him and couldn't help but smile.

"I am so sorry," Alexander said and John laughed in delight.

"Burr said the same thing."

"I promised myself that would be the first thing I said to my soulmate. I don't mind getting punched, but I am sorry that you had to feel everything." Alexander said seriously. John grew serious as well,

"You don't have anything to apologize for."

"How are you feeling, petit lion?" A new voice joined the conversation. At any other point, Alexander would've protested to the nickname of small lion, but there were so many other questions he needed to address first.

"Who are you guys?" He sat up slightly, ignoring the wave of pain that sent down his body.

"We are John's best friends. I am Hercules, I am also his roommate." The bigger man with a beanie on said.

"And I will spare you my full name since you probably already have a headache. You can call me Lafayette. I am John's friend and also Herc's better half." Lafayette said with a French accent.

"Ravi de vous rencontrer." Alex said, enjoying the way Lafayette's face lit up when he spoke French. Alexander took a breath to launch into a full conversation when he felt a warm pressure on his shoulders, pushing him back down into a laying position. He resisted at first, but then he looked up into the beautiful hazel eyes of John and all the fight went out of him.

"You didn't answer Laf's question," John said softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Like some idiot decided to take out his anger issues on me," Alexander said. There was a scoff from the floor and he looked to see Burr awake and shaking his head at him.

"I'll bet you don't remember what you said to him," Aaron said, standing up and walking over to Alexander.

"Um...no, was it good?" Alexander asked, he didn't miss the look of worry that crossed John's face.

"This memory gap isn't because of any concussion." Aaron had obviously seen the look too and hurried to assure John. "Alexander just tends to talk before his brain catches up and sometimes it never does."

"As much as these words pain me, Aaron is right," Alexander admitted sheepishly.

"Well, he is speaking French and throwing insults my way, so I'd say that Hamilton is feeling fine," Aaron said smiling at his roommate. "I am going to go back to our room to sleep in my own bed while enjoying the quiet. I leave you in the capable hands of your soulmate and his friends." Aaron started to walk away but Alexander grabbed his wrist.

"Thanks for trying to stop me, Burr."

"Maybe next time you'll listen to me," Aaron said teasingly. Alex dropped his wrist and Aaron headed out, yawning as he did so.

"What time is it?" Alexander asked

"3 am" John responded, "Time to go to sleep."

"I should go back to my room, I don't want to put you guys out." Alexander struggled to sit up again.

"Nonsense, mon petit lion. It is no bother."

"But-" Alexander cut off with a slight gasp when he sat fully up. His ribs felt like someone had taken a bat to them. He saw John wince and wrap an arm around his own ribs.

"Yeah, I don't think your ribs are broken, but they are pretty badly bruised. You should probably take it easy for a few days." Hercules spoke up. Alexander gently lowered himself back onto the bed, more for John's sake than his own. He hated knowing he was causing the other man pain.

"Good, now you are going to sleep all weekend and then we can spend some time getting to know each other," John spoke up, giving Alexander a dazzling smile.

"Freckles, as lovely as that sounds, I can't sleep all weekend. I have work tomorrow...or today rather." As much as Alexander hated to disappoint the attractive man in front of him, he couldn't afford to take the weekend off.

"Okay, how about you take one day off. You can't work like this anyways. Just give yourself one day to recuperate." John bargained. To anyone else, Alexander would've said no. But this was John Laurens, his soulmate, someone whose pain he had been feeling all of his life. They had just met, but John seemed kind and strong and Alexander already felt a strong connection.

"1 day." Alexander conceded

"Hurray" Laf shouted from across the room. "Now can we please go back to sleep?"

"Only if John joins me," Alex said, patting the bed next to him. John's eyes widened in surprise at his sudden flirting and for a moment he looked tempted before shaking his head.

"I don't want to risk hurting you. I'll sleep on the floor tonight."

"The pain will be worth it." Alexander couldn't help but try again, if only to see the slight blush creep across John's cheeks.

"He's quite the flirt isn't he?" John directed the questions at his friends who nodded in agreement.

"Hey, I'm a lover as well as a fighter baby," Alexander said with a wink.

"Good lord help me," John said, his face fully flushed now. "Look, you are injured, exhausted, and probably delirious. I know I'm your soulmate but we just met so we are gonna take this slow. I am going to sleep on the floor tonight and we can go from there."

"My soulmate's a killjoy." Alexander directed this at Laf and Herc, who were both shaking with silent laughter.

"And my soulmate's a crazy person," John said in exasperation. Alexander pouted, but he could tell he was not going to win this argument. With a goodnight, John turned off the light and settled on the floor. Alexander couldn't help but smile, not only had he found his soulmate, but his soulmate was a very attractive man who stood his ground. Alex had always thought that he would know who his soulmate was when he met someone who could give him a run for his money while arguing.

For once he didn't mind taking a day off of work because it meant that he was going to be able to get to know John a whole lot better.


	5. Chapter 5

Keeping Alexander on bedrest for a day proved to be an impossible task. John woke up in pain to find Alexander attempting to get himself out of bed.

"Hey, none of that. You promised me a day." John rushed to Alexander's side and put his hand on his shoulders. Alexander looked up at him in defiance. His hair was sticking out in all directions, he had dark smudges under his eyes, and bruises and cuts covering his face, yet John couldn't help but think that he still looked beautiful.

"I said I would take a day off of work and take it easy. Not that I would stay in this damn bed." Alexander pushed John's hands off of him and started moving again.

"Okay, okay, just...wait a second." John held out his hands, begging the man to stop. Alexander stilled for a second, letting John speak. "I know you are still in pain, I just need you to be honest with me about how bad it feels"

"I have a headache, but it doesn't feel like a concussion." To John's surprise, Alexander answered seriously.

"And you would know that because...?"

"I may have had one or two before."

"That's what I thought," John said with a chuckle. "And your ribs?"

"Yeah, those hurt a bit." Alex lifted up his shirt to reveal several large bruises covering his torso. John couldn't help but stare at the revealed skin and felt himself flush when he looked up to see Alexander watching him. Alex smirked and put down his shirt.

"Yeah...um, that looks like it hurts." John tried to get his thoughts back on track.

"Did the bastard kick me? Did he actually kick a man when he was down?"

"Afraid so," John said. He hadn't been able to get the image of Jefferson kicking Alexander out of his head.

"That dirty little-" Alexander cut off as he stood up, gasping slightly as he did.

"Mon petit lion, get back in bed," Lafayette called from the other side of the room, having been woken up by the noise.

"Is this even your room? What are you still doing here?" Alexander bit back, "And stop calling me your little lion."

"Ah, but it suits you," Lafayette said, laughing whole-heartedly. Alex sent a glare in his direction and stumbled over to John's desk chair. John felt his ribs twinge when Alexander sat down, but the other man's face betrayed no sign of pain.

"Dude, I swear to god if you don't take it easy I am taking you to the hospital." Hercules threatened in a low voice. John saw apprehension fill Alexander's face as he tried to figure out how serious Hercules was being.

"We wouldn't do that." John hurried to reassure Alex, although he was pretty sure that there was a hint of truth behind Hercules threat.

"I am taking it easy." Alexander protested, ignoring John's comment.

"Yeah, you better," Herc said gruffly.

"Okay, now that Hercules has made his concern known," Lafayette said, interrupting the conversation before it took an even worse turn. "How about he and I go get some food for us all?"

"That sounds good Laf, thank you," John said relieved. Lafayette and Hercules rolled out of bed and started getting dressed.

"Please bring coffee" Alex added. John rolled his eyes figuring that Alexander probably lived on coffee. John settled himself on his bed, if Alexander wouldn't take it then he would. He lay on his side and looked over at his soulmate. Alex was surveying his room as if trying to analyze and memorize its contents.

"We will be back." Laf threw over his shoulder as they headed out. John turned back to Alexander and found him looking at something in the corner of his room.

"So hockey? That's what sport you play." Alexander said contemplatively. John followed his gaze to where his hockey stick and helmet were thrown.

"Yeah, sorry about being slammed around so much, I'm not that good," John said with a chuckle.

"Then why do you play it?" Alexander asked

"Because it's fun and good exercise," John said, giving a half-truth. He looked into Alexander's big, curious, brown eyes and found himself speaking the whole truth. "And because I'm slightly reckless checking people helps with my anger."

"Hmm" John could practically see the gears turning in Alex's head. "I do remember that you used to get punched as much as I did."

"Yeah, hockey was one reason I was able to put a stop to that."

"What were the other reasons?"

"I met these two idiots," John said smiling at the memory.

"Are their names Lafayette and Hercules by any chance?" Alexander was looking at him intently, John felt like his gaze could pierce his soul.

"Yes. I met Herc first. He saved me from getting the shit beat out of me by these three guys in middle school. He was big and scary looking, but I soon found out that he was kind and not very prone to violence. He helped me see that punching wasn't always the answer."

"And Lafayette?"

"I met him a little later through our parents. Laf went to a different school but he was just as outspoken about his views as I was and we clicked immediately. After a few months, I introduced him to Herc and our little trio was born."

"When did they figure out they were soulmates?" Alexander was smiling at his story

"A few weeks in Laf tripped and fell down the stairs in front of us and that was that." Alexander laughed out loud and John thought it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

"Ow..." Alexander's laughter faded and he wrapped an arm around his ribs.

"Yeah, as much as I enjoy hearing you laugh, we should steer clear of that," John said. "Okay, now it's your turn. Tell me something about you."

"It has been said that I am not the easiest going guy in the world," Alexander said with a crooked grin.

"Yeah, that much I've figured out on my own thanks. Come on Alexander," John pressed.

"Okay, um, I grew up in the Caribbean. My dad left when I was ten, my mom died a couple years later. My town was destroyed by a hurricane. I wrote about it and it got noticed. I raised enough money to come to America. The past two years I have attended school part-time while working. This semester I had enough money to come here." Alexander spoke really quickly and refused to meet John's eyes while talking. John slid off the bed and went to crouch next to Alex. John took one of his hands with both of his. Alexander finally looked at him. His face was a passive mask that John knew he had practiced, but his eyes swirled with emotion. John searched for a few moments for the right thing to say.

"I'm glad you found your way to me," John said finally, wanting Alexander to know that he was accepted. That John wasn't scared away by his troubled past.

"Me too" Alex's face had broken into a grin. Alexander reached up with his free hand and tugged one of John's curls. "So what do you study Freckles?"

"Biology, specifically marine biology." John didn't mind the switch to a lighter topic of conversation. He knew there was a lot more to Alexander's story, but he had time to hear the rest later.

"Ah, that explains the turtles." Alexander turned to the corkboard above John's bed, which was covered in John's doodles, most involving turtles.

"Yeah, they're my favorite," John said with a laugh

"I never would've guessed..." Alexander's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Burr said that you are double majoring in Poli-sci and Economics and on top of that you're pre-law?"

"Yeah, I couldn't decide if I wanted to go into politics, be a lawyer, or economist, so eventually I decided not to decide"

"Yeesh, and here I am deciding whether or not I can handle picking up an art minor," John said, shaking his head at the impossible man in front of him.

"You should do it. You are really good." Alex gave him a brilliant smile and squeezed his hand and suddenly picking up an art minor seemed like the greatest thing in the world.

"Maybe I will," John said, attempting to be nonchalant.

They went back and forth, asking each other questions. They talked about everything from music to movies to politics. They found that their opinions on most things were very similar but varied enough to make things interesting.


	6. Chapter 6

"I just don't see the point in reading for fun," Alex argued. "There are so many good non-fiction books out there. I don't even have time to read all of those that I want to. So why would I read some fantasy book?"

"Because it's enjoyable. Because the fictional worlds can provide an escape from the real world for a little while." John argued back

"But you always have to come back to the real world, and the books I read can help me make the world a better place." Alexander protested.

"Yes, but there is such thing as burn-out. A person can't try to make this crazy world better 24/7, it would drive them insane. People need to have ways to unwind and escape."

"That's when I switch to reading stories of hope. There are plenty of biographies out there of incredible people who had done incredible things." Alexander was discovering that he quite enjoyed arguing with John. His soulmate was passionate and didn't back down, even when it was about something as seemingly trivial as fictional books.

"Just because the characters aren't real people doesn't mean that they can't teach us about how to do the right thing. Reading about heroes doing the right thing while growing up shaped me into the person I was now."

"Same for me, except the heroes I read about were real and told me that if they could do it, then so could I."

"Look-" John started his rebuttal, but was interrupted by a loud knocking at the door.

"Is that our coffee?" Alex asked eagerly, but John shook his head.

"Not unless Herc forgot his keys, which is something that has never happened." John went over to the door and opened it slowly.

"Are you John? Is Alex here?" A familiar female voice started speaking before John had the chance to.

"Eliza" Alexander said with a sigh at her worried tone. The woman pushed past John and rushed over to Alex.

"Oh god, Alex..." She gently cupped his face and surveyed his injuries. Alexander saw John stiffen behind her.

"I'm fine, Liza," He said, gently taking her hand off his face.

"You weren't answering your phone. I was so worried." Eliza threw her arms around Alexander which caused him to hiss in pain. "Oh my god, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm sorry I worried you, my phone is...actually I have no idea where my phone is." Alexander realized.

"Aaron has it. I stopped by your dorm. I was hoping to find you asleep, but Aaron told me you were here and you had met your soulmate." Eliza looked back at John, finally acknowledging his presence.

"Yes, Eliza Schuyler this is John Laurens," Alexander said. Eliza drew away from Alex to shake John's hand.

"It's nice to meet you." She said with a smile before turning back to Alex. "Aaron said that Thomas did this?" Eliza furrowed her brow.

"You worry too much wifey." The nickname had rolled off of Alexander's tongue before he realized it. He looked up at John and rushed to explain, "when I say, wife, I mean that in a purely platonic way. Eliza is always fussing over me and she doesn't like it when I call her mom, so I started calling her wife. Full disclosure we did date once briefly, but we both decided we were better off as friends. Plus we knew we weren't soulmates so-."

"Alexander, there is no need to ramble. It's okay." John cut him off with a smile, looking more relaxed after Alex had finished his explanation. Alexander was grateful. His relationship with Eliza was deep and slightly complicated and one of the most important things in his life. He didn't think he could handle it if his soulmate felt threatened by her.

"I am sorry for bursting in here like this. I just worry about this one." Eliza ruffled Alexander's hair. "I should go call Angie and Pegs and tell them that you are okay. And Alexander?"

"Yes?"

"If you pull something like this again I am going to get Angelica to murder you."

"Yes dear," Alexander responded and Eliza rushed out of the room as quickly as she had come in.

"She's...wow" John appeared to be having trouble finding the right words.

"She certainly is. Just wait until you meet her sisters." Alexander said with a laugh thinking about energetic Peggy and intimidating Angelica. John looked like he was going to question that further when his door banged open suddenly, causing both men to jump.

"Food is here" Herc announced unnecessarily as the scent of it hit them.

"And coffee," Lafayette said, coming in from behind him.

"Oh thank god." Alexander started to stand up to get to the coffee sooner but was stopped by John's hands on his shoulder. Alex muttered a few choice words under his breath which John ignored. Alex waited for Laf to reach him and held out his hands eagerly for the coffee.

"I think you might have a slight addiction, mon ami," Laf said with a laugh as he handed over the cup.

"Got that right." Alexander didn't bother to deny it as he took a big sip of coffee. He had dealt with too many people that morning for this to be his first cup.

"Let's get some food in you too," John said, handing Alexander a bag.

"Thanks, Freckles," Alex said with a wink. He had discovered that the nickname and flirting made John blush and that was so unbelievably cute that Alexander wanted it to keep happening.

"After we eat we can watch a movie," John said, clearing his throat and looking anywhere but Alex.

"Ah, a nice activity that involves no moving," Alex said, seeing right through John's suggestion.

"Exactly."

"Sounds good to me," Herc said, his mouth full of food.

"Gross, chew your food first." Laf gagged, staring at his boyfriend in horror.

"I'm in if you will cuddle with me," Alexander said to John, ignoring the squabble that had broken out on the other side of the room.

"You've got yourself a deal," John said with a wink of his own and Alexander decided that he was done for.


	7. Chapter 7

It took them 30 minutes to decide on a movie. Most of the arguing came from Laf and Hercules since Alexander hadn't seen any of their choices and John would've agreed to anything to end the argument. They finally decided on The Little Mermaid because Lafayette starting shouting the lyrics to "under the sea" and refused to stop until the movie was put in.

"Are they always like this?" Alex asked in amusement.

"Actually, they are on their best behavior," John said with a laugh. Alexander hadn't been joking when he said he wanted to cuddle. The second after John climbed into the bed next to him, Alex had situated himself half on top of John's chest. Not that John was complaining. He wrapped his arms gently around Alexander and held him close.

"I like the crab" Alexander murmured sleepily part way through the movie. John chuckled and began to run his hand through Alexander's hair. He knew that it should feel strange to be embracing someone so intimately after only knowing them a day, but it didn't. In fact, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. He knew part of it was because knowing they were soulmates got rid of all of the awkward what ifs that usually plagued new relationships. They could take comfort in the fact that they were meant to be with each other.

But beyond that, John simply felt comfortable with Alexander. Everything he learned about the man intrigued him and strengthened their connection. Alexander was argumentative, abrasive, and stubborn, but he was also intelligent, driven, and resilient. John had also seen glimpses of a more carefree side of Alex that he definitely wanted to coax out.

"THE SEAWEED IS ALWAYS GREENER, IN SOMEBODY ELSE'S LAKE." Laf started singing along at the time of his lungs causing the man next to John to jump in surprise.

"Laf, cool it," John called out to his friend, but Alexander just laughed.

"Damn it, you guys have to stop making me laugh," Alex said with a grimace.

"JUST LOOK AT THE WORLD AROUND YOU" Laf continued to sing.

"Lafayette if you keep singing like that I am going to turn the movie off," Hercules said.

"Under the sea" Lafayette didn't respond except for the fact that he was now singing in a whisper. This caused Alex to laugh, wince, and swear all over again.

"I like them" Alexander whispered softly to John as Hercules reprimanded Lafayette for making him laugh. "I've never really had friends like that. Eliza and her sisters are more like family to me. They worry too much for our interactions to ever be so carefree. Burr is pretty much my first and only friend."

"Not anymore," John said firmly as he tucked a stray hair behind Alexander's ear.

"Yes! Now you have the three of us." Lafayette said just as firmly. John hadn't noticed that his friend had stopped singing and was listening to their conversation.

"God, you are noisy," Alex responded, but he was grinning.

"That's what friends are for," Hercules said, joining the conversation. Alexander's grin widened and he snuggled further against John. The four men fell back into silence as they watched the movie. Alexander's head grew heavy on John's chest and his breathing slowed. John was beginning to wonder if he had fallen asleep when there was a loud knock on his door.

"Ugh," Alexander groaned. If he had been asleep he was awake now.

"I've got it," Herc said, extracting himself from Lafayette and making his way to the door. Alexander propped himself up so he could get a look at the door.

"I'll bet it's a Schuyler sister." He said, giving John a smile that made his heart skip.

"Aaron, come in." Hercules opened the door and gestured the man inside.

"Wow, this is something I don't feel very often." Alexander said, clutching his chest in exaggerated shock, "I was wrong." John laughed at his antics and also sat up.

"Hey Burr, we are watching the Little Mermaid, care to join?" John asked

"No, but thank you. I just came by to drop this off." Aaron held out a phone to Alexander. "Eliza insisted I return it to you so she can be in contact."

"Ah, so I was basically right," Alexander said in triumph as he took the phone.

"I don't know what that means, but you should probably check your messages. I have a feeling you have quite a few from all of the sisters." Aaron said. "And if you don't respond they will just bombard me..." Aaron trailed off looking slightly stricken. John had only met Eliza briefly, but he was sure that Burr had gotten quite the shakedown today when she couldn't find Alexander.

"I'll respond Burr." Alexander promise, "Are you sure you don't want to stay?"

"No, I am meeting Th...I am getting dinner with someone in my American Government class to study." Aaron said. Something unspoken passed between Aaron and Alex. They looked at each other for a few seconds before Alexander nodded, which caused Aaron to relax considerably.

"Doesn't sound as much fun as what we are doing, but I suppose you need all the help you can get." Alexander teased.

"I'm helping them actually." Burr quipped back.

"Whatever you say," Alexander said in a disbelieving tone.

"Goodnight Alexander." Aaron didn't rise to the bait and Alex looked disappointed at the lack of fight.

"Goodnight Aaron." He responded. Burr nodded in John's direction and then headed out of the door.

"He's a strange one," Lafayette commented once the door had clicked shut.

"He certainly doesn't know what to do with conflict. I give him a month of being Alexander's roommate before he loses it." Hercules added.

"Hey" Alexander protested, but then he seemed to think more about it and shrugged, "You're probably right."

"I guess you'll just have to spend more time here to give him a break," John said with a smile.

"I think I can manage that." Alexander returned his smile and then looked down at his phone, his smile slowly slipped into a frown.

"What is it, mon petit lion?" Lafayette asked, noticing the change in expression.

"Angelica's going to kill me. She might also kill Thomas, but she is definitely going to kill me."

"Who's Angelica?" Hercules asked curiously.

"She's the oldest of the Schuyler sisters. She gave me my first job. I applied for a job at the library foolishly thinking that because I loved books I would be perfect for the job. Angie should've turned me away the second she learned I didn't know anything about the Dewey decimal system, but instead she agreed to hire me on a trial basis. If I could pick up the system fast enough I would be allowed to stay. I think she could see how desperate I was. It was an act of pity, but I was determined to prove my value. I learned everything I could about how to organize and sort books and the next time I came to work I could sort books almost as quickly as Angelica." Alexander said the last part with a self-satisfied tinge in his voice, but John was getting to know the young man now and he could see past the cockiness. He could see that it was just a cover for any insecurity Alex might feel about admitting that he had been desperate for a job.

"Do you still work at the library?" John asked

"Yes, and I also work at a 24/7 diner which is great because I can just pick up shift there at all hours depending on when I am free."

"Why is Angelica going to kill you?" Lafayette brought them back to the topic they had gotten slightly off of.

"I may have promised her that I wouldn't get into any more fights." Alex looked a little sheepish. "I have a Sunday morning shift at the library and she is going to take one look at me and finish what Jefferson started." Alexander touched the cut on his cheek absentmindedly.

"She sounds scary," Herc noted.

"She is, she can do with her words what Thomas can do with his boot." Alexander grimaced at the thought.

"Alexander, I don't think working in a library is the best choice right now. You really shouldn't be lifting anything heavy" John knew Alexander's ribs hurt more than he was letting on and John didn't want him to injure himself further.

"John's right, you really shouldn't do any heavy lifting for a couple weeks." Hercules agreed

"Weeks?" Alexander sputtered, sitting up fully. "I can't do that."

"Would Angelica let you work desk or something that you didn't have to move or carry heavy books?" John asked, putting a comforting hand on Alexander's arm to let him know that they were on his side.

"Yes," Alex relaxed slightly, "But I will still have to carry meals for my diner job."

"Could you afford to take two weeks off of just that one?" John asked in a soft voice. He didn't want to pressure Alexander and it was obvious that money was tight for him, but he also didn't want to see Alex hurt.

"If I pick up a few extra library shifts I could probably take a week off," Alexander said after a few moments of deliberation.

"I'll take what I can get," John said. He wasn't entirely sure if he believed Alexander would really take off, but he didn't feel it was his place to question further.

"Can we get back to the movie?" Laf practically whined from the other side of the room.

"Yeah..." Alexander responded, stifling a yawn as he said the word. John looked at him with a frown. He had been exhausted before he had gotten injured and he really hadn't slept that much last night.

"Maybe we should-"

"No, no, I want to finish the movie." Alex cut him off, apparently guessing what John had been about to suggest.

"Okay." John decided not to argue and lay back down on his bed. Alexander immediately followed suit. He settled back against John, his arm across John's stomach and his head on his chest. As Laf started the movie back up, John started to rub Alexander's back in small, circular motions. It was something that his mother had used to do to get him to go to sleep. John was hoping that Alex's body would betray him and he would fall asleep.

After ten minutes Alexander's body was heavy against his and his breaths were deep and even, but John didn't dare sneak a peek to see if he was sleeping. He didn't want to risk waking him if he was or disturbing him if he was close to sleep.

After another five minutes, Lafayette made a noise and whispered something in French. John caught enough to know he was talking about Alexander. John pointed at Alexander and then mimicked the sleep motion by cradling his head with his free hand and closing his eyes. When he opened his eyes back up, Laf was nodding.

"He's exhausted," Lafayette whispered just loud enough for John to hear.

"Should we stop the movie?" Herc whispered also. John shook his head and made a waving motion. Alexander had fallen asleep during the movie so it probably wouldn't wake him up. Herc turned it down just to be safe.

Before long, John felt himself drifting off to sleep, his late night and restless sleep on the floor finally catching up to him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N I apologize for the slight lack of actual Lams in this chapter. I just wanted to give my girls their time to shine (Enter Schuyler Sisters)

"Go home, Alex," Angelica said again, putting her hands on her hips and staring him down.

"No, just let me work the desk,z" Alexander repeated his request. They had been having a circular conversation for five minutes and neither showed any sign of backing down.

"You look like hell, you will scare everyone away." Angie gestured towards his face. Eliza had shown her concern through panic and tears, but Angelica showed her concern through anger.

"Angie, I promised John I wouldn't work at the diner, but I can't afford to take this job off too." Alexander pleaded, playing his final card. He hated how desperate it sounded, but he knew that Angelica wouldn't turn him down if she knew he really needed it.

"Alexander..." Angelica's face softened slightly and she stepped forward, looking closely at him. "You've got to stop this." She said finally, shaking her head in disappointment. Alexander felt a stab of regret knowing that he had let her down.

"Hey, Jefferson punched first." Alex tried for a joke, but Angelica just shook her head some more.

"I talked to Aaron, you practically went into the bar looking for a fight."

"I know, I'm sorry. But things are different this time." Alexander said as an image of hazel eyes and freckles flashed through his head.

"Because you met your soulmate?" Angelica guessed. Alexander had managed to tell her briefly about John before she had started berating him for fighting.

"Yes, it changes things Ang, knowing that when I get hurt I am hurting him too." Alexander had watched John carefully yesterday and had seen every time that the man had winced because Alex had accidentally tweaked his ribs. Every time, seeing the brief look of pain on John's face had hurt worse than his actual injuries.

"You like him a lot don't you?" Angelica questioned, looking at him with an odd expression on her face.

"He's incredible," Alexander said simply. He wouldn't have been able to find the exact words to describe John fully, so he didn't try.

"I'm glad. I wish you cared a bit more about yourself, but if he's the reason you stop running headfirst into trouble, I will take what I can get." Angelica huffed. "And you can work the front desk today if you promise to take it easy."

"I promise, thanks Angie." Alex stepped forward and kissed her on the cheek.

"You know I'm on your side right? Same with Eliza and Peggy." She said softly as he pulled away.

"I know, I don't deserve you three," Alexander said with a smile.

"But you do, that's what I'm trying to tell you." A bit of the anger came back and flashed in her eyes. "You deserve the world Alexander and someday I hope you realize that," Angelica said before turning and walking quickly away, leaving Alex to mull over her words alone.

Alexander made his way to the front desk, grabbing a few books on his way. He hated working the front desk, especially on Sunday mornings. It was boring and monotonous work on a busy day, but on a slow day, it was excruciating. He would much rather be refiling books or helping people to find the perfect book for their research. But he had promised to take it easy and John would certainly know if he didn't keep that promise.

Once at the desk, Alexander thought back to his conversation with Angelica. When he said he didn't deserve the Schuyler sisters, he had been completely serious. That was because, in Alexander's opinion, very few people deserved the unwavering acceptance and support that he had received from the three incredible women. They were fierce, strong, and incredibly kind. Alexander, on the other hand, was a loudmouth who loved to cause trouble. He had too often sought help from the sisters after he had caused some kind of mess and each and every time they had come through.

As if his thoughts had summoned them, the door opened and Alexander looked up to see the two younger Schuyler sisters entering the library. As happy as he was to see them, Alex couldn't help but groan slightly when he saw their expressions.

"I already got the lecture from Angelica," He said before either one could open their mouth. "I know I messed up and I am sorry for worrying you and next time I walk into a bar that contains Jefferson, I will walk right back out."

"Alright, Alex," Eliza said, giving him a small smile. She was always the first to forgive out of the three sisters. Peggy was silent, still looking over his injuries carefully. When she had determined that he wasn't too badly injured, she plopped onto the stool next to him and bumped her shoulder lightly against his.

"I'm sure Angelica did a better job than we could've anyway."

"That she did." Alexander shuddered dramatically, making the two girls laugh.

"The truth is, expressing our concern and disappointment is only part of the reason for why we came," Eliza said. She remained standing but leaned against the tall desk.

"And what's the other part?" Alex asked, knowing full well what it was.

"We want to know all about this soulmate of yours," Peggy said, practically jumping up and down in her seat.

"You didn't seem so interested when you met him" Alexander teased Eliza.

"I was a bit preoccupied at the time. Now that I know you are safe and in relative health, I want to hear all of the details." Eliza smiled and Alexander took a breath before beginning to talk quickly,

"He's a marine biology major. He enjoys a good argument and likes to win them almost as much as me. He loves turtles and is a great drawer. He plays hockey to de-stress and avoid punching people, and before you ask I am not going to start playing hockey. He likes reading fiction more than nonfiction, but I'm sure I can change his opinion on that. He is the oldest child but doesn't like to talk about his family much, but neither do I. We'll get there eventually I'm sure. He's got these crazy beautiful eyes and freckles everywhere. He's kind and a good listener-"

"Which is a good trait considering how much you talk." Peggy interrupted him to tease. Alexander felt a slight blush creep across his cheeks. It seemed that once he started talking about John, he couldn't stop.

"He sounds like a good match," Eliza said

"Hence the whole soulmate thing Liza." Alexander pointed out. Eliza looked like she wanted to hit him, but instead reached out and poked him in the nose.

"You know it's not always that simple Alex."

"I know" Alexander grinned, "I was just giving you a hard time"

"Are you guys distracting my employee?" Angelica said, striding over to the group.

"Yes, they are keeping me from all of this work." Alexander spread his hands out to gesture at the empty library.

"Lazy Sunday mornings are something that most people practice," Eliza said, shooting a look at Peggy who feigned innocence. Alex guessed that Peggy had dragged her to the library early so that they could talk to him before people started showing up.

"Alexander was just telling us every single thing he knows about John," Peggy said, switching the topic back.

"Yes, I think he was about to tell us how he puts his pants on one leg at a time." Eliza joined in.

"You guys said you wanted to know all about him!" Alex defended himself.

"And we do, I was just hoping for juicier details than his favorite animal. Like how does he make you feel?" Peggy asked the question that Alexander had been thinking about since he had met John.

"He makes me feel off-balance, but not in a bad way," Alex said and smiled when the three girls groaned when he didn't continue speaking.

"Oh, now he has nothing to say," Peggy grumbled

"Why is nothing ever easy with you?" Eliza said, "You are going to have to explain what exactly you mean by that."

"It's been a long time since I really cared what someone thought about me, so that's an odd feeling. And John is a constant surprise. One minute he's all sheepish and blushing because I flirted and the next he is winking and flirting right back. He keeps me on my toes. Everything he does is both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time." Alexander tried best to explain the feeling of meeting someone who was both a stranger and your perfect match. Angelica and Peggy looked confused, but Eliza was nodding her head.

"It's like part of you is inherently comfortable with them and another part of you is trying to tell you that this person is still a stranger." Eliza was the only one of the sisters so far to have met her soulmate. "It was the same way with Maria."

"I wish I could say I understand," Angelica said with a slightly sad smile. Alexander wanted to assure her that she would find her soulmate, but he knew how empty those words would sound. So instead he tried to explain it one more time.

"It's like when you meet someone but you have a nagging feeling that you have met before, you just can't remember where. You feel connected to that person even though you know nothing about them."

"I sort of get it," Angelica said, her unspoken words were that she wouldn't ever be able to fully understand until she found her soulmate.

"When do we get to meet this John Laurens?" Peggy asked. Since she was younger, she was not very concerned about her lack of a soulmate. She was unendingly optimistic and believed that she would meet them when the time was right.

"He will probably stop by sometime today," Alexander admitted. "I'm sure he will want to check up on me and make sure I am taking it easy."

"Good, I have to finish reshelving books, but let me know the second he arrives. I want to meet him." Angelica's voice had a protective edge to it.

"Please be nice to him," Alexander said with a groan

"When am I ever not nice?" Angie said with a slightly wicked grin before heading back into the stacks.

"I expect you two to be on your best behavior as well." Alexander turned to Eliza and Peggy.

"Yeah, no promises," Eliza said and sauntered after her sister. Alex groaned again and put his head in his hands.

"Just think," Peggy said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "If he can survive us, that means he is truly meant to be with you. For better or worse we are part of the package Hamilton."

"Right now it feels like worse," Alexander said, but a part of him didn't mind the overprotectiveness of the sisters. It showed that they cared and viewed him as a part of their family. They were the only family that Alex had and Peggy was right, John couldn't be a part of his life without also being a part of the Schuyler's.


End file.
